Stuart McLean
| image = Stuart McLean (cropped).jpg | alt = | caption = McLean on stage at the Centennial Concert Hall in Winnipeg, Manitoba | birth_name = Andrew Stuart McLean | birth_date = | birth_place = Montreal West, Quebec, Canada | death_date = | death_place = Toronto, Ontario, Canada | death_cause = Melanoma | residence = | nationality = Canadian | alma_mater = Sir George Williams University | occupation = Radio broadcaster, writer | years_active = 1974–2017 | employer = CBC Radio | organization = | known_for = | notable_works = The Vinyl Cafe | parents = | spouse = | children = | awards = | website = }} Andrew Stuart McLean, (April 19, 1948 – February 15, 2017) was a Canadian radio broadcaster, humorist, monologist, and author, best known as the host of the CBC Radio program The Vinyl Cafe.Stuart McLean, The Canadian Encyclopedia. Often described as a "story-telling comic" although his stories addressed both humorous and serious themes,"Vinyl Cafe gets up close and personal; Stuart McLean tells the tales". Edmonton Journal, October 30, 1998. he was known for fiction and non-fiction work which celebrated the decency and dignity of ordinary people,"Telling tales: Stuart McLean is one of Canada's most beloved storytellers". Ottawa Citizen, January 29, 1999. through stories which often highlighted the ability of his characters to persevere with grace and humour through embarrassing or challenging situations."'The Vinyl Cafe' Radio Show Host Stuart McLean Dies at 68". The Hollywood Reporter, February 15, 2017. Early life McLean was born in Montreal to Australian immigrant parents."C'mon in to the Vinyl Cafe: CBC storyteller McLean brings make- believe and music to Montreal". Montreal Gazette, November 19, 1998. He was educated at Lower Canada College in Montreal, and he graduated from Sir George Williams University with a B.A. degree in 1971. Following his graduation, he worked in student services for Dawson College, and as campaign manager for Nick Auf der Maur in his first Montreal City Council election. Career McLean first joined CBC Radio as a researcher for Cross Country Checkup,"He's a radio junkie". Victoria Times-Colonist, November 8, 1998. later becoming a documentarian for the radio program Sunday Morning."Stuart McLean, longtime host of CBC Radio’s ‘Vinyl Cafe,’ has died". Toronto Star, February 15, 2017. He won an ACTRA Award in 1979 for "Operation White Knight", his Sunday Morning documentary about the Jonestown Massacre."CBC scores landslide in ACTRA awards" The Globe and Mail, April 5, 1979. From 1981 until 1984 he acted as the show's executive producer."CBC marriage works, as it happens". The Globe and Mail, November 28, 1981. During the 1980s and 1990s he was a frequent contributor to and sometime guest host of Morningside, for which he often produced human interest documentaries and audio essays about everyday people and places;"The ups and towns of being an author". The Globe and Mail, January 4, 1993. he would later characterize his Morningside work as celebrating "the importance of being unimportant","Gentle voices overheard at The Vinyl Cafe". Financial Post, January 27, 1996. and as ultimately helping him find his own voice as a writer. He published his first book, a compilation of his work for Morningside, in 1990 under the title The Morningside World of Stuart McLean."McLean's Morningside". Ottawa Citizen, January 20, 1990. The book was a finalist for the 1990 Toronto Book Awards."Contest finalists announced". Toronto Star, February 28, 1990. He was a contender in 1989 to become cohost with Valerie Pringle of the CBC's television newsmagazine series Midday, but the role went to Ralph Benmergui."Prime Timer headed for the Baby Journal". Toronto Star, April 2, 1989. His second book, a travel memoir titled Welcome Home: Travels in Smalltown Canada, followed in 1992,"McLean`s book lifted by people". Calgary Herald, December 5, 1992. and won the Canadian Authors Association for best non-fiction book in 1993."Slice of life comes from smalltown Canada". Calgary Herald, October 22, 1993. In 1994, McLean launched The Vinyl Cafe as a summer series."CBC revamps weekend schedule". Edmonton Journal, July 2, 1994. Following the show's second summer run in 1995, McLean published Stories from the Vinyl Cafe, his first book in that series."Consummate storyteller unveils memorable collection". Kingston Whig-Standard, November 4, 1995. The show joined CBC's permanent regular-season schedule in 1997."CBC Radio changes name and schedule: Renaming of two networks reflects massive restructuring of programming". The Globe and Mail, August 20, 1997. Although the early stories focused on a diverse group of characters loosely linked through the titular Vinyl Cafe record store and its proprietor Dave, by the time the series became a permanent one the stories were focused more squarely on Dave and his family and friends."Vinyl Cafe a star vehicle for McLean". Kingston Whig-Standard, February 13, 1998. Beginning in 1998, McLean took The Vinyl Cafe on the road to theatres across Canada and the United States. Some stories would be repeated at multiple shows — in particular, an early story about Dave's awkward attempt to cook a turkey for Christmas dinner became one of the most famous and most frequently performed stories of McLean's career"Vinyl Cafe brings a new bird". Victoria Times-Colonist, November 22, 2012.—but McLean would often perform slightly different versions of the stories to keep his audiences engaged."Vinyl Cafe's McLean returns to Grand". Kingston Whig-Standard, January 29, 1999. The Vinyl Cafe was broadcast every weekend on CBC Radio, and later as a weekly podcast.Bruce DeMara, "McLean steps down from his Vinyl Cafe: CBC Radio host says year-long battle against melanoma is not going 'exactly as planned'". Toronto Star, December 14, 2016. McLean's books of stories from The Vinyl Cafe have won the Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humour three times; several albums of his performances of Vinyl Cafe stories were also released. In the 2010s a spinoff edition, Vinyl Café Stories, aired on CBC Radio in a weekday afternoon timeslot, featuring two previously broadcast stories on interrelated themes. McLean retired in 2004 as a professor at the School of Journalism at Ryerson University in Toronto after 30 years. He was also a sponsor of the YMCA's Camp Kanawana, establishing a charitable fund to provide financial support for underprivileged youth to attend the camp,"Stuart McLean, Canadian Radio Legend, Dies at 68". Billboard, February 15, 2017. and served as honorary colonel of the Canadian Armed Forces' 8th Air Maintenance Squadron at 8 Wing in Trenton. The Vinyl Cafe stopped touring and producing new episodes following McLean's diagnosis with melanoma in November 2015. McLean announced on December 13, 2016, that he required a second round of treatment, meaning further delay in producing potential new radio episodes, and that repeats of past shows would stop airing on CBC Radio One effective January 2017 to "make room for others to share their work on the radio." McLean died of cancer on February 15, 2017 in Toronto, aged 68. Bibliography *''The Morningside World of Stuart McLean'' (1989) *''Welcome Home: Travels in Smalltown Canada'' (1992) *''Stories from the Vinyl Cafe'' (1995) *''When We Were Young: A Collection of Canadian Stories'' (1996) *''Home from the Vinyl Cafe'' (1998) *''Vinyl Cafe Unplugged'' (2001) *''Vinyl Cafe Diaries'' (2003) *''Stories from the Vinyl Cafe 10th Anniversary Edition'' (2005) *''Secrets from the Vinyl Cafe'' (2006) *''Dave Cooks the Turkey'' (2006) *''Extreme Vinyl Café'' (2009) *''The Vinyl Cafe Notebooks'' (2010) *''Revenge of the Vinyl Cafe'' (2012) *''Time Now For The Vinyl Cafe Story Exchange'' (2013) *''Vinyl Cafe Turns the Page'' (2015) Discography *''Christmas Concert at the Vinyl Cafe'' (Audio Book CD) (1997) |mdy}}|label= Discography of Stuart McLean}} *''Vinyl Cafe Stories'' (1998) *''The Vinyl Cafe on Tour'' (1999) *''Vinyl Cafe Odd Jobs'' (2001) *''Vinyl Cafe Inc. Coast to Coast Story Service'' (2002) *''A Story-Gram From Vinyl Cafe Inc.'' (2004) *''Vinyl Cafe: A Christmas Collection'' (2005) *''Stuart McLean's History of Canada'' (2006) *''An Important Message From The Vinyl Cafe'' (2007) *''Vinyl Cafe: Storyland'' (2008) *''Vinyl Cafe Planet Boy'' (2009) *''Vinyl Cafe: Out and About'' (2010) *''Vinyl Cafe: Family Pack'' (2011) *''Vinyl Cafe: The Christmas Pack '' (2012) *''Vinyl Cafe: New Stories'' (2013) *''Vinyl Cafe: The Auto Pack'' (2014) *''Vinyl Cafe: Up and Away'' (2016) Awards *ACTRA Award for best radio documentary for coverage of the Jonestown Massacre (1979) *Canadian Authors Association Best Non Fiction book for Welcome Home (1993) *Rooke Fellowship for Excellence in Teaching, Research, and Writing: Trent University (1994–95) *Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humour, Home from the Vinyl Cafe (1999)"Stuart McLean, longtime CBC Radio personality and bestselling author, has died". Quill & Quire, February 15, 2017. *Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humour, Vinyl Cafe Unplugged (2001) *Canadian Author's Association Jubilee Award, Vinyl Cafe Diaries (2004) *Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humour, Secrets from the Vinyl Cafe (2007) In 2011, he was named an Officer of the Order of Canada "for his contributions to Canadian culture as a storyteller and broadcaster, as well as for his many charitable activities". See also *List of Dave and Morley stories References External links *Stuart McLean profile at cbc.ca Category:1948 births Category:2017 deaths Category:Canadian people of Australian descent Category:Writers from Montreal Category:Anglophone Quebec people Category:CBC Radio hosts Category:Officers of the Order of Canada Category:Stephen Leacock Award winners Category:Sir George Williams University alumni Category:Ryerson University faculty Category:Canadian male short story writers Category:20th-century Canadian short story writers Category:21st-century Canadian short story writers Category:Canadian storytellers Category:Deaths from melanoma